Guardian Of Eternity
by joey the ripper
Summary: Clara sets out to write down her lives, she knows there is one story she shouldn't be writing because it is never ever to be read, especially by the Doctor, but when the temptation's too great for him what will be the result of his learning the biggest secret in existence?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Doctor Who, or Legend of Zelda, or Star Trek... or anything... the only thing I can claim ownership on is how it's all come together in the cocktail-shaker and has been poured out into the story glasses, yes that's right I'm not an author I'm a bartender, enjoy your drinks, no two are ever the same.

_A/n:_This is just a bit of a rambling, I like to do these, rant and drabble combined, tell me what you think of it.

This is a "companion" to "A Link Through Time" - but you don't need to read it because I'll explain everything anyway, I may actually set out to write the actual stories in the future, but for now...

**Summary: **Clara sets out to write down her lives she knows there is one story she shouldn't be writing and that it is never ever to be read, especially by the Doctor, but when the temptation's too great for him what will be the result of his learning the biggest secret in existence?

**Guardian of Eternity**

Chapter 1

**The Impossible Series**

_Clara knew that though she was born to save the Doctor there was always someone else there too, tending to the Time Lords complicated time-stream like a gardener, planting things around him to assist him and some things to hinder him, where Clara had become echoes and had been scattered in a million different places to live and die to save the Doctor, the other travelled about in one form tending away as one continuous life._

Clara had already written a number of her lives down in separate diaries, and the collection was continuously getting bigger, they had only been echoes of her but she felt like each and every one was still a part of her so she sought to write them down to cherish all of those unique experiences, being careful about writing the details of the worlds that they lived and died in, and now she was writing the one story that even the Doctor didn't know about.

Clara never knew the other's name, only that the young woman was responsible for a lot of the most important developments in the Doctor's life, in the development of the Time Lords... possibly the entire universe was her garden made up of purposefully planted seeds that grew and died and all life thrived in her care.

Clara frowned and flexed her fingers, there was so much to be written but right now she needed a drink. 'Tea...'

She headed downstairs with the laptop under her arm, she couldn't stand the idea of leaving this unfinished, she wasn't sure how long she hadn't slept for, but she couldn't part from it all...

She flicked the kettle on and settled down at the dinning room table it was the middle of the night now, so there was no interruptions to be had.

'Now what _is_ your name?' Clara mumbled still trying to work it out, it was hard when the woman was referred to by obscure names in all of the different places that Clara had been born into... but as she sought to settle on one name in particular there was a knock on the door and Clara got up to a stand she checked the clock on the corner of the computer screen and a smile came to her face, it was Wednesday, had been all day, which meant... she headed to the front door and opened it to find the happy and cheerful 11th Doctor.

'Clara...' His face fell as he looked at her. 'You look awful.'

She rolled her eyes. 'Hello to you to, Doctor.' She turned from him and headed back to the kitchen. 'I just boiled the kettle, would you like a tea?' She knew the answer already.

'So how've you been?' The Doctor asked awkwardly joining her in the kitchen.

'Fine.' Clara said as she set to work making the pot of tea, she glanced over her shoulder to look at him, he had pulled the computer around to see what she had been doing. In a flash Clara was slamming it shut and gave him a very deep glare. 'Not that one.' She said forcefully. He blinked and she took the computer away from his reach. 'I'm sorry.' She said awkwardly. 'But _that_ one you can't read.'

'Why not?' He asked.

'Because it's...' She didn't know the right words to explain it. 'Timey-whimey.' She settled on with a smile, she really had to appreciate the simplified version of the complex explanation now that she had her own complicated explanations to give him.

He looked to the laptop thinking it over and looked up at her. 'Why write it down then?'

'Because...' She took a steady breath and gave a shrug. 'I don't want to forget it all.' She gave him a point. 'This one you _can't _see though.'

He gave a slight pout at the idea. 'Timey-whimey, huh?'

She gave a nod.

'Alright!' He said straightening. 'I won't read it...'

Clara gave him a solid look and gave a nod.

'So is this why you look like you haven't slept in a week?'

Clara shook her head. 'Only started on that one today.' She said calmly. 'It's the _others_ that have kept me from sleeping.'

'Others...' He repeated.

She gave a nod.

'You're writing them all down?' He realised out loud.

Clara gave him a smile. 'Yes.'

'Why?' He asked completely puzzled.

She smiled as she set about pouring the tea. 'I don't want to forget them and I know I will only remember pieces of them if I don't write them all down.' She explained.

The Doctor gave a chuckle. 'Diary of An Impossible Girl.' He said as she handed him his cup.

'Yes, I know...' She sighed knowing that it was a bit silly an idea of keeping a diary at her age.

'You've got something to sell there.' He said calmly.

'Yeah, if only I could make it that little bit more fictional so that it isn't filled with vast amounts of obvious spoilers.' She said sitting down and sipping at her cup.

'Why not? _My_ diary was published.' He said with a shrug

'Yes, but _you_ didn't live entire lives in so many different places in time.' She pointed out. 'Spoilers are practically everything in there.'

He gave a shrug and dropped the entire conversation as they sipped at their tea.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**A Normal Human Routine**

The Doctor leant back in his seat lost in thought; Clara had gone for a nap and that left him a bit out of options on what to do for a few hours, as he sat there his thoughts turned to what Clara had said- "not this one"- which meant that she didn't mind him reading the others, but reading her diary? Well technically they _were_ just echoes of lives and Clara _had_ given him permission to read them, so he headed up the stairs to Clara's room.

* * *

She was fast asleep on her bed, _good_, she really needed to sleep, he gave a nod to her sleeping form then he looked around the room and noticed a pile of books that hadn't been there before, he walked over silently and picked one up, opening it and flicking vaguely through the pages he managed to pick up on what year it was, Victorian London, he sat down at the desk to read.

* * *

Two minutes later he'd finished all of the lives Clara had written down so far, the Dalek Asylum was the very last one he'd read; lives and lives, out of all the people who had travelled with him throughout the years only Clara really got to _fully_ experience life among the stars, she'd lived practically everywhere in Time and Space, she'd grown up on many different worlds, experienced many things, and each and every time she'd died.

He gazed at her, still sleeping soundly on her bed oblivious to his presence, was she dreaming or remembering? He wondered, with so many experiences in such a short time she'd likely be able to dream up the stars themselves and walk through the whole of creation in her dreams, she'd seen it all.

He gave a sad smile. 'Thank you.'

* * *

The kitchen was empty, it was early in the morning after all so what could he expect from a normal human household? It was normal for them to be asleep at this hour... which he had never realised before.

He hated having to wait, because _that_ was when his memories started tormenting him, weirdly right now he was remembering his time at UNIT and the hours he had been alone in, he was even making himself the exact same jam on toast and cup of tea, and he was thinking about tinkering with the TARDIS, but she didn't need it right now so he settled back down at the kitchen table and went about just having the snack.

* * *

It was no use, he'd never been good at keeping his curiosity in check and after staring at the shut computer on the kitchen table for about five minutes he just _couldn't_ take it any more, he reached out and grabbed it, pulling it over to him and opening it up... annoyingly the power was off, he pressed the power button and the only response he received was the battery light flashing once telling him the battery was empty, he gave a barely audible scoff, typical, that was just _typical!_ He stood and headed off to find the charger.

* * *

He hadn't found the charger but he'd found the TV remote and so he'd settled down to watch the TV instead, well that was how humans passed the time so there ought to be something good about it.

An alarm blared upstairs and he looked up, it being a Thursday the Maitland kids were going to be heading off to school soon, the cartoon show he'd found on wasn't familiar to him, well that was something good.

He was actually more entertained by the routine upstairs.

'Artie...' There was a knock on a door. 'Five minutes...' Clara was undeniably used to this routine no matter how tired she was, no matter how many lives she'd lived she was still committed to looking after people, he gave a smile. 'Angie... five minutes.'

'You're not my Mum.'

'And I'm not trying to be... Five minutes, dressed, or you'll miss breakfast.'

He hadn't considered breakfast to be such a quick-time event... an interesting concept...

'You _always_ say that.'

'Yes and do you want to test it?' The Doctor smiled as the silence hung for a moment and Clara repeated. 'Five minutes...' He looked around as Clara came down the stairs and gave him a smile as she headed into the kitchen. 'Morning.'

He switched the TV off and followed her into the kitchen. 'Sleep well?'

'Yeah, you weren't waiting about were you?'

He gave a half smile. 'Why wouldn't I?'

'Because, as the saying goes: "Time waits for no man".'

'Ah!' He said hopping onto one of the stools and giving her a point with his finger. 'But the person who said that didn't happen to possess a time-machine.'

'True, I suppose.' Clara agreed. 'But still, knowing you you could've managed to save half the universe in those few hours I was asleep.'

Really he hadn't even thought about doing that...

'I meant as separate adventures not one big huge event.' She added calmly.

He smiled. 'Now where would the fun be in going alone?'

She grinned. 'You wouldn't really be able to show off as much.'

'I don't show off!'

She rose an eyebrow. 'Oh yeah?'

He beamed. 'You're back to being Clara again.' He observed. 'Welcome back impossible girl!'

'That's me: Clara Oswald early morning superstar, now look sharp, Doctor, the morning rush is about to start.'

He cast a look to the doorway and gave a nod, considering the entire family was about to come in for breakfast she probably had every reason to refer to it as such. 'Right, want some help?'

'That cupboard, third shelf, grab some bowls.' She said pointing to one of the cupboards.

'Yes, Ma'am.'

* * *

'So, the kids are at school, Mr Maitland's at work, what do you want to do?'

Clara folded her arms and gave him a look. 'Careful, Doctor, that sounded just the tiny bit suggestive there.'

He shook his head and all of his enthusiasm left him as he complained 'Oh, _why_ is it that I can't go five minutes _without_ someone making one of those comments, or landing up with someone who's falls completely in love with me... no wait a minute.' He stopped and smiled, he straightened up his coat and adjust his bow-tie rather smugly. 'No, I can understand that last one.'

Clara couldn't help but smile and laugh at that,_ same old Doctor_, she looked him in the eye and shook her head, he gave a shrug and she straightened up herself. 'You can't stay innocent to that side of life forever I guess.'

He rose his eyebrow. 'Uh ha...'

'Truthfully... _I_ just do it because I find it really amusing when you get all awkward like this.'

He looked offended.

'And _anyway,_ you bring it on yourself with comments like that.' She said simply.

He pouted and folded his arms.

Clara shook her head. 'But...' She gave a smile. 'I was thinking about going somewhere I haven't been yet.'

'Well, Clara, where _haven't_ you been?' He asked calmly.

She just smiled and held out her hand, he smiled back and took her hand as well. 'There was this _one_ place another me heard about and wanted to go, but she couldn't get there... what do you think? Can we?'

'Fill in the gaps?' He asked slightly surprised at the idea as they headed out the front door.

'Why not? That's what we've been doing yeah? What _you've_ been doing all this time.'

'Trying to do.' He said sadly. 'Truthfully I'd rather a bit less drama in my travels.'

'Oh, come on...' She said giving him a nudge. 'What's life without drama? No, wait, _I'll_ tell you... I've had enough lives to be able to actually _answer_ that question.' He gave a slight frown at the comment. 'It's not _living _at all, and where's the point in that?'

'You're the expert.' He agreed sadly.

'I'm the impossible girl.' She said calmly. 'And you don't have to feel _bad_ about it, hell, I've had some of the best experiences.'

'Along with the worst.' He pointed out

'Everyone dies... some people.' She stopped and straightened his bow-tie with the well practised air of a governess tending her charge. 'Live longer than others, but even a Time-Lord's life can be wasted if he doesn't actually get out there and live.'

He blinked. 'You learnt a _lot,_ didn't you?'

She gave a wink. 'You bet I did.' She turned to look at the TARDIS doors. 'I'd _love_ for us to get along.' She said bluntly. 'I don't know exactly _why_ you have such a problem with me, but can we look past it?'

There wasn't any reply but Clara could feel the Doctor practically radiating joy and hell even if it hadn't worked at all with the TARDIS at least he was happy again. 'I thought you said she was just an appliance?'

Clara looked at him. 'Yes I did, but _who_ told you to take this one?'

He snapped his fingers and the doors opened. 'You did.' He said calmly.

'Right.' She said with a smile. 'So shut up and drive, there's planets to save and I have to be back before tea.'


End file.
